Nelson Aerts defeated Francisco Costa 6-2 6-3 in the Portugal 3 Masters 3 round of 32 on hard. The upset overturned the form book — Francisco Costa came in leading the head-to-head 7–0. Nelson Aerts claimed a first win over Francisco Costa in eight meetings, narrowing the head-to-head to 7–1.
| Date | Tournament | Round | Surface | Winner | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-04-05 | Brazil 1 Masters 2 | R32 | clay | Francisco Costa | 6-2 6-2 |
| 1996-11-16 | Brazil 5 Masters 4 | R32 | clay | Francisco Costa | 6-3 |
| 1995-10-21 | Brazil 2 Masters 1 | SF | clay | Francisco Costa | 7-6 7-6 |
| 1995-09-02 | Peru Bolivia Masters 2 | R32 | clay | Francisco Costa | 6-3 6-4 |
| 1995-04-29 | Brazil 1 Masters 4 | SF | hard | Francisco Costa | 6-3 6-4 |
| 1995-03-17 | USA 1 Masters 4 | R64 | clay | Francisco Costa | 6-4 7-5 |
| 1994-09-19 | Canada Masters 2 | R32 | carpet | Francisco Costa | 7-6 7-6 |
Averages over each player's completed matches in the selected window. ATP, WTA & Challenger.